Walking around Philadelphia, everything looks like a famous building. You might find yourself wondering if this is a special site where our forefathers and foremothers did something notable, or just another old structure. But you don’t have to wonder for long — in addition to Philadelphia’s many touted firsts (United States capital, bank, free library, hospital, volunteer fire department), the City of Brotherly Love must have more historic plaques per square mile than any city worldwide.
Whether you want to see where Betsy Ross sewed the nation’s first flag or locate the site of the country’s first indoor circus, the plaques will guide you.
This makes Philadelphia perhaps the best place for history buffs to get some exercise. But it’s also a modern city with all the amenities of interest to the health-conscious traveler.
Walking Philadelphia
If you’re staying downtown, you can explore the Delaware riverfront to the east and the smaller Schuylkill River to the west. Follow the Schuylkill path to Fairmount Park, one of America’s largest green spaces, and you’ll find trails, historic mansions, museums and outdoor concerts. Stop off at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the current exhibit, or to get your photo taken outside with the iconic Rocky statue. A constant stream of tourists recreate the fictional boxer’s run up the museum’s 72 steps, to the consternation of museum staff who would rather they come inside.
If you prefer more structured sightseeing, many companies offer walking tours. History is the biggest topic, but you can also find tours focused on food, murals and architecture. Those who enjoy exploring the darker side can join Grim Philly Twilight Tours. Or, opt for a self-guided tour, such as the Constitutional, which covers 30-plus historical sites in the Independence National Historical Park area over a three-mile journey. You can download walking tour apps, or get an old-fashioned paper map.
Unusual Fitness Classes
Like any big city, Philadelphia has plenty of gyms and fitness classes. If you like to expand your fitness horizons, try a locally grown Red Hot Dance Fitness class, created by local choreographer Christine Gallagher as Philadelphia’s answer to Zumba. Yogis who like to try something unusual can check out Heavy Metal Mondays with Daniel Cordua at Palo Santo Wellness Boutique. Want to hear death metal band Cannibal Corpse during corpse pose? They’ve got you covered.
Famous Vegan Restaurant
The buildings may be historic, but Philadelphian cuisine has evolved beyond salted meat and porridge. There seems to be a vegan hotspot around every corner, from Bar Bombon, a Puerto Rican bar/restaurant featuring empanadas and buffalo cauliflower tacos, to Goldie’s, home of falafel and the world’s most delicious tahini shakes. But most visitors interested in plant-based cuisine make a beeline for Vedge, one of the most famous vegan restaurants in America. This elegant, romantically lit eatery specializes in small plates such as avocado stuffed with pickled cauliflower, fried rice and black salt, and charred Brussels sprouts with kimchee glaze and pickled mushrooms.
Urban Farming
For a close-up look at where your food comes from, swing by Greensgrow Farms in Kensington, a neighborhood once better known for urban blight and abandoned industry than healthy food. It was a radical move when Mary Seton Corboy founded a hydroponic lettuce farm on the site of a former steel galvanizing plant in 1997. Over the last 20 years, Greensgrow’s has worked to improve access to fresh foods for people in the neighborhood. Nowadays, 25,000 people visit annually to buy plants, attend farm dinners and even get married. Neighborhood kids stop by to visit the chickens and to admire animals saved from the dinner plate, including Milkshake the pig and Ping, a Muscovy duck. Pick up locally made foodstuffs at the farm shop, such as bottles of Greensgrow’s pineapple ghost pepper or jalapeno plum hot sauces.
Longwood Gardens
The name du Pont evokes thoughts of business and industry. But Pierre S. du Pont is responsible for one of the most relaxing places to visit in the Philadelphia area: Longwood Gardens. In 1906, du Pont bought a small farm in Chester County, about 30 miles from Philadelphia. His travels to places like England’s Kew Gardens, Italian villas, French châteaux and world expositions inspired his arrangement of water features, architecture and plants at Longwood. Visitors can stroll through 1,083 acres of botanical pleasures ranging from forest walks to an enormous greenhouse filled with orchids, or marvel at 100 types of water lilies growing in a pond. There’s something to see year-round — from May to October, don’t miss the elaborate fountain show featuring 1,719 water jets, LED lights and music.
If You Go
Philadelphia is easily accessible from the Hampton Roads, Va., area. Nonstop flights from Norfolk on American Airlines take just over an hour. If you want to drive, allow about six hours. Stay at any of the downtown hotels and you’ll be able to easily get around by foot, subway and ride share. You’ll need a car to visit Longwood Gardens.
